Aston Martin Rapide 2010 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $366,194
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Rear seat DVD $6470; Cooled seats $2648
Crash rating: N/A
Fuel: 98 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 14.9
CO2 emissions (g/km): 355
Also consider:  Maserati Quattroporte, Porsche Panamera

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 4.5/5.0

As high-end manufacturers continue to offer an ever-growing catalogue of niche models we never knew we needed, consumer attitudes towards many of these 'in-betweeners' border on volatile. In fact, with many a backyard discussion disintegrating well beyond the usual love it/hate it stance, quirky new half-coupes, four-door roadsters and track-ready SUVs have seen many a friendly chat erupt into the motoring equivalent of an episode of Jerry Springer.

Which brings us to the four-door, four-seat Aston Martin Rapide. Filling a similar mould to Maserati's aging, yet still attractive Quattroporte, and Porsche's Dali-esque Panamera, Aston's first four-door in as many decades was received with a surprising level of enthusiasm here at the Carsales Network HQ, not a verbal chair throw heard once in our week-long test.

And it seems we're not the only ones enamoured with it stunning sculpture. Upon collecting our sexy low-slung sedan, Aston Martin's Australian representative told the Carsales Network the Rapide has been an unexpected drawcard for the revered British brand Down Under, more than 80 per cent of buyers jumping behind the marque's leather-bound wheel for the very first time -- a trend that doesn't appear to be slowing, either.

Whether it's the two-door looks, the added practicality of two very usable rear seats, surprisingly generous cargo space or just the je ne sais quoi that seems only to come from expensive new exotica, Rapide certainly seems to be marking territory. But in the words of the late Julius Sumner-Miller, why is it so?

Perhaps it's pure lust, which is reason enough in this price bracket, or maybe it's an admission the motoring public is finally ready to receive a more practical supercar. For us though that first menacing bark as the big V12 spins to life was the clincher. Beyond the handcrafted cigar club interior (plenty of leather and wood) and gorgeous flowing lines, it's those twin pipes that quite literally speak for themselves.

Hand-built in England, Aston's 350kW 6.0-litre V12 is also found in the awe-inspiring DBS coupe and breath-taking V12 Vantage. In the Rapide it propels the long four-door to 100km/h in just a fraction over five seconds, but unlike most supercars it is just as content to cruise the town at low speeds, even managing awful stop-start traffic with consummate ease.

The engine's full 600Nm torque hit doesn't arrive until quite late in the piece (5000rpm), and is linear in its delivery rather than cracking the whip in one burst. But being naturally aspirated, that's an expected trade-off, and in my humble opinion one that in no way detracts from the driving experience.

When it comes to feeding the addiction, Rapide consumed around 16.8L/100km on our week-long test, not bad all things considered.

The ZF six-speed automatic transmission, too, is a sweet match for the Rapide's hard charging aluminium powerplant, and is perfectly calibrated to the car's intent in both normal or sport modes. The manual override, using steering column-mounted paddle shifts, will hold gears right to the limit of the V12's reach, and is lighting quick to change on upshift. Downshifts could be just a little sharper.

The transmission is operated by centre stack-mounted push buttons (P,R,N,D) rather than a traditional floor shift, that real estate on the console now occupied with a single cup holder, electronic park brake and seat temperature controls. The gear selector buttons flank Aston Martin's novel cassette type key/starter combination. Our press car was loaned with the none-too-fancy black plastic service key in lieu of the pretty, and expensive, cut-crystal offering that usually accompanies Rapide.

Riding on 20-inch alloys the Rapide is an agile and communicative handler, the faster than DBS rack aiding quicker steering response, ideally compensating for the addition in wheelbase. Damper control, developed in conjunction with Bilstein, is dynamic to within 100 per cent of the system's range in either mode and is intuitive in cornering, under brakes and upon heavy acceleration, compensating for the car's mass with lightning-quick changes in roll or pitch.

Braking is impressively confident. The brakes themselves are of dual cast iron-aluminium construction (rotor and hub respectively) that essentially become a 'floating' unit when hot. The six-piston (front) calipers offer plentiful bite while up the rear, and new for Rapide, a separate electronically activated actuator manages park duties.

Conversely, and despite the shallow windows featuring nifty double glazing, Rapide still presents a hint of wind noise around the lower A-pillar/mirror junction at highway speeds. Similarly, there is some tyre noise from the 20-inch hoops on all but the smoothest roads. That's perhaps to be expected given the thumb-thick tyre profile.

Entry and egress to the rear seats is a less than dignified routine for taller passengers, but once inside accommodation is quite acceptable, though perhaps only for moderate distances.

Some passengers may also find the view somewhat restricted due to the low placement of the sporty, leather-clad bucket seats.

In all though, Rapide is a very accomplished package and clearly one of the more thoroughly comprehensive combinations of purpose and privilege in the category. With striking looks and remarkable performance, the only tough ask is electing a paint and leather combination from the seemingly endless palette -- best set aside another week.

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